Bae, Kim & Lee LLC has one of the foremost M&A practices in Korea, having been involved in many of the most important and complex M&A deals.

Our core M&A group of 30 partners and senior associates, many of whom have over a decade of intensive deal experience, is consistently ranked among the top Korean practices in the M&A field, by Chambers Global and other peer- and client-assessed law firm rankings. BKL has also in recent years garnered a number of “deal of the year” type accolades in the global and regional financial press, for our part in major M&A transactions of unusual scale and difficulty.

The practice group offers sophisticated advice covering all stages of a stock or asset acquisition, including deal structuring, due diligence review, negotiation, documentation and closing. We have assisted, on both buy and sell side, a variety of clients in their M&A deals in Korea, ranging from local medium-sized firms to multinationals based in the U.S., Japan and Europe. We have advised both strategic investors, representing a broad cross section of industries, and financial investors, including several of the most active private equity firms in the Asian region.

Every client can expect from our M&A team a drive and focus toward efficient and alert conduct of the deal. Regardless of the size of the transaction, we dedicate the same professionalism and attention to detail. At the same time, every M&A transaction involves its own set of priorities and constraints, and a capable legal advisor must always be mindful of the particular context of the parties and the business at stake. Our experience enables us in each situation to grasp quickly those concerns that demand special care, while handling systematically the whole spectrum of legal and practical tasks that accompany the deal.

BKL’s core M&A practice is complemented by specialized practice groups ready to meet the issues that tend to accompany acquisitions, whether stock or asset deals. Our tax department is often consulted on acquisition structure, as well as post-closing restructuring and disposition plans. Our finance group offers the highest level of expertise in negotiation and documentation of international-style syndicated loan and security agreements, as well as local type agreements. In areas such as antitrust law and employment as well, we provide specialists with long experience in M&A-related issues.

Following is a sample of our M&A work, to give an indication of our scope of practice and depth of experience:

• Advised Tesco Stores (UK) in US$1.9 billion acquisition of major retail chain in Korea, one of the largest M&A deals in Korea in 2008.

• Advised STX Group in US$500 million acquisition of Aker Yards ASA, a shipbuilding company in Norway, in 2007.

• Advised UBS AG in acquisition of Daehan Investment Trust Management, 2006~2007.

• Advised Macquarie-led group in 2006 buyout of Enron stake in holding company for major group of city gas suppliers.

• Advised Shinhan Financial Group in 2006 acquisition of LG Card.

• Advised private equity group in acquisition of electronics retailer Himart in 2005, a “Deal of the Year” (International Financial Law Review) widely considered one of the most successful foreign acquisitions ever in Korean retail. Advised again in US$2 billion sale of Himart in 2008.

• Advised Hynix Semiconductor in US$820 million sale of non-memory chip division to Citigroup private equity in 2004.

• Advised private equity group in 2001 leveraged buyout of Haitai Confectionary, recognized as the Korean “Deal of the Year” (International Financial Law Review) for its innovation, scale and complexity.

• Advised private equity group in 2000 acquisition of Mando Machinery. Advised again in successful 2008 sale of the company to Halla consortium.

• Advised creditor banks in sale of Samsung Motors to Renault in 2000.

We would be pleased to furnish upon request a fuller description of our M&A track record.